The parents of two-year-old twin boys who drowned after falling into a giant fish tank said yesterday that they were devastated at the loss of their ‘miracle babies’.

Sarah Aitken, 32, and Mervyn Scott, 30, said their ‘long-awaited little soldiers’ were ‘full of love, happiness, fun and cheek’.

Rhys and Shaun Scott were found in the fish tank at their family home in Scotland on Saturday morning.

The bereft parents of twin two-year-old boys who drowned in a giant fish tank at their home have spoken of the devastating loss. Sarah Aitken, 32, and Mervyn Scott, 30, are pictured with their sons Shaun and Rhys

Twin boys Rhys and Shaun who died after falling into the giant fish tank. Their parents Sarah Aitken and Mervyn Scott have been named locally

This is believed to be the outdoor pond the boys were discovered in. Police officers were seen outside the property in Dalgety Bay

Emergency services were called to a home in Dalgety Bay, Fife (pictured), after the children were discovered in the deep fish pond at the side of their detached home. They were taken to hospital but died

The boys were born prematurely in 2013 after Miss Aitken underwent IVF treatment, sources said last night. They are believed to have ventured into a fish enclosure built by the owner of the property, while their parents ‘thought they were playing inside’.

Homeowner Keith Henderson had run a koi fish company from the property in Fife before it was rented to the young family last year. He had attached two aquatic enclosures and an observation area to the side of the home.

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Planning application documents lodged with Fife council show the tank is 8ft deep. The plans, submitted in 2010 and approved two years later, show someone going to the fish tank from the garden would walk on to a ground-level observation and feeding deck.

Walking along it, they are separated from the tank by an 18in wall.

Last night the Health and Safety Executive, which can prosecute landlords if they put tenants in danger, was called in by police. Inspectors will ask if the family knew of the fish tank before moving in and if it should have been covered.

Asked if the issue of whether the tank should have been covered would be considered, a Health and Safety Executive spokesman said inspectors would look at this before deciding if there should be an investigation.

Happy family: Emergency services were called to Dalgety Bay, Fife, after the children were discovered in the pool. The twin boys are pictured here with parents Sarah Aitken and Mervyn Scott

Messages of condolence from residents of the coastal town has poured on to social media sites

The incident happened in Breakers Way, on the west of the town, which sits on the north shore of the Firth of Forth and overlooks the iconic rail and road bridges

A police cordon was seen outside the house in Dalgety Bay in Fife where the two twin boys drowned

The HSE can prosecute landlords under Section Three of the Health and Safety at Work Act, as they have the same duty of care to tenants as employers have to employees.

However the majority of cases in which it takes action involve gas safety or cases of legionella, a deadly bacteria which can cause the respiratory illness Legionnaires’ disease.

The tragedy in Fife is unusual for the authorities as only around five people a year in the UK – mostly children – die from falling into ponds and other bodies of water at their home.

PARENTS PAY TRIBUTE TO TWINS

Family statement issued by Sarah Aitken, 32, and Mervyn Scott, 30.

'We would like to thank everyone for their support at this unfortunate and difficult time.

'We give special thanks to all the medical staff, family, friends, neighbours and the police for their efforts, hard work and time spent helping and trying to revive our miracle babies.

'Both boys were long awaited little soldiers who were full of love, happiness, fun and cheek.

'Individually and together they have touched the lives of everyone they met.

'We along with our family and friends are still in shock and devastated at such a tragic loss from such a freak accident.

'They have been taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved.

'We wish to be left alone and be given the privacy needed to grieve.'

David Walker of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: ‘For children who have started walking up to the age of around six, ponds should either be fenced off, covered with a grille or, ideally, filled in, as supervision cannot be guaranteed the whole time.

‘It only takes a few seconds for something to happen, so children of this age should be completely isolated from this type of water. These changes are small ones when you consider how severe the consequences can be.’

A HSE spokesman said: ‘We have been contacted by the police and are assisting them with their enquiries.’

The boys’ parents spoke of their heartbreak in a statement yesterday. ‘We would like to thank everyone for their support at this unfortunate and difficult time,’ it read. ‘We have special thanks to all the medical staff, family, friends, neighbours and the police for their efforts, hard work and time spent helping and trying to revive our miracle babies.’

The statement added: ‘Individually and together they have touched the lives of everyone they met. We along with our family and friends are still in shock and devastated at such a tragic loss from such a “freak” accident.

‘They have been taken from us far too early and will be forever missed and loved. We wish to be left alone and be given the privacy needed to grieve.’

Miss Aitken had shared her joy at falling pregnant by posting pictures of her ultrasound scans and growing baby bump online.

Emergency services were called to the detached home in Dalgety Bay on Saturday morning. A woman’s screams were heard at the property before help arrived. The twins were taken to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

A family friend said: ‘The parents thought the boys were playing safely inside. It’s a nightmare. How any parent would be able to cope with such a loss is hard to comprehend.’

The twins’ great aunt, Elizabeth Scott, wrote on Facebook: ‘Have a heart for the two drowned twins found in Dalgety Bay and their parents and grandparents because these wee boys were my nephew’s sons. I’m completely devastated tonight.’

A number of people living at the executive home, where floral tributes began to be laid on the driveway, are registered directors of a company which imports 'high quality' koi fish from the Momotaro Koi Farm in Japan

In 2012, an application was made to install a koi fish tank and enclosure at the side of the property

One neighbour said: 'It's such a terrible tragedy. I used to see their mum pushing them along the street in their buggy. They were such happy little boys. No one can quite believe this has happened.'

Floral tributes have been laid on the driveway of the home at the bottom of the cul-de-sac where the family live